Episode #18
Episode 18: What Veterinary Teams Can Do With AI Now
AI can do more than answer questions. What should veterinary teams actually let it do? Robert Sanchez, Adam Little, and Aaron Massecar explore new possibilities for client education, computer work, and clinical decision support, alongside the questions of trust and oversight that come with them. Robert shares an AI-assisted visual explainer and what it could mean for helping pet owners understand care. The hosts debate where to start with computer-use agents, how to keep people in control, and why better clinical answers still need a connection to real patient outcomes. In this episode: How the hosts are thinking about AI risk and safety. Computer use and visual design: what new capabilities could change for veterinary teams. Personalized client education and interactive learning. Choosing a useful first task, setting boundaries, and watching the results. Clinical decision support, trusted sources, and the missing outcomes loop. Try the client-education exercise discussed in the episode: "Help me identify six topics I repeatedly explain to pet owners. Ask me about the questions clients find hardest to understand. For the most useful topic, propose a short visual explanation with one clear takeaway, a simple storyboard, and a list of medical claims for a veterinarian to check. Use generic examples and no identifiable patient information. Draft the concept first, then wait for my feedback." Not sure where to start with AI? Try Robert's interview approach: Ask your AI: "Interview me, one question at a time, until you understand what matters most in my work, what repeatedly gets in the way, and what a useful result would look like. Then ask what must never happen, what information is off limits, and which actions need my approval. Summarize what you learned and suggest three small tasks I can review myself. Recommend one and explain how we'll know it helped. Start with information I provide here; ask before accessing other systems." Choose a task you have authority to do, review its output, and keep a veterinary professional responsible for clinical content. What is one task you would like AI to help your team with? Tell us in the episode comments, and follow Veterinary AI Brief for the next conversation. Recorded September 14, 2026. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome 01:13 AI risk and safety 15:33 Astra and computer use 19:05 Visual client education 29:24 Where should a practice start? 37:35 Have AI interview you 39:13 Clinical decision support 45:04 The missing outcomes loop 46:07 Novel context and the bitter lesson
